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J3M Community Partnerships
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J An Urban Intervention for East Garfield Park
José Alarcón Jesse Budlong Maria Hernandez Jessica Roberts

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J J3M Community Partnerships Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................................1
Research + Analysis.........................................................................................................................................2
Recommendations.............................................................................................................................................8
Opportunities ...................................................................................................................................................9
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J J3M Community Partnerships Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The East Garfield Park community area on Chicago’s west side has tremendous potential for residential and
commercial growth. The area’s strong transportation resources and rich architectural heritage – boasting such
landmarks as the Golden Dome Fieldhouse and the much-admired Garfield Park Conservatory – make it poised to
provide permanent homes for residents and businesses alike. In a crowded metropolitan area, East Garfield Park
is a region rife with possibilities for new developments as well as revitalization of existing buildings.
The proposed intervention sits at the intersection of Madison Street and Sacramento Boulevard, at the heart of the
community and the center of East Garfield Park’s Madison Street Corridor. The main building rests at the southeast
corner of the intersection, but additional proposed new developments along both sides of West Madison Street
stretch east to California Avenue, revitalizing an important sector of the community.
The amenities of the development respond to needs of the community. The large, multi-use facility will serve as a
community center with adult education resources, youth after school programs, and a variety of services to assist the
growth and development of the area. The neighborhood’s commitment to building a green community is reflected
in the design and use of the building as well, with a green rooftop, solar panels, and greenhouses integrated into
the site.
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J J3M Community Partnerships Research + Analysis
Research + Analysis
LAKE STREET
GARFIELD
PARK
MADISON STREET
SITE
JACKSON BLVD
SACRAMENTO BLVD
I-290
I-290
HOMAN AVE
Introduction
East Garfield Park, once a thriving community of over 70,000 residents at its peak in the 1950s, has been in decline in recent
decades as jobs in nearby factory corridors have vanished. Now the area is home to only 20,567 residents, according to the
2010 U.S. Census. This community center will respond to the needs of the current residents and attract new families to the
community by providing services and opportunities not currently available. The following sections outline the demographic,
social, and cultural characteristics of the community area in order to reveal its needs and to demonstrate how the community
center responds to those needs.
East Garfield Park contains one hospital, Bethany
Amenities in East Garfield Park, Chicago, Illinois, 2000
Amenities in East Garfield Park, Chicago, IL 2000
Hospital, and one police station. A handful of
grocery stores, restaurants and social service
& Fire Stations
agencies are situated near and along Madison
WEST TOWN
HUMBOLDT PARK
& Libraries
u
" Hospitals
&
Street. There are twelve elementary schools in the
KEDZIE
CALIFORNIA
Schools
Á Á ´
´ Parks neighborhood and two main public high schools,
& ´
Police Stations
Marshall Metro and Manley. The neighborhood
#
* &
#
* MADISON
#
*
´ ´´ ´
#
*
& ´
WEST GARFIELD PARK ´ Restaurants
hosts eleven parks, including the East Garfield
KEDZIE
´ NEAR WEST SIDE
VAN BUREN Social Service Agencies
VAN BUREN
u
" ´´ EISENH
OW ER
Grocery Stores
Park Conservatory, from which the community
#
*
EISENHOWER
Á
HARRISON
HARRISON #
*
CENTRAL PARK
CTA Stations
CALIFORNIA
Á
CTA Train Lines takes its name. Three CTA stations are located
Major Streets
&
in the community, and local expressways are
NORTH LAWNDALE
East Garfield Park
& Community Areas within 1/2 mile easily accessed nearby. The proposed community
of East Garfield Park
Source: Census, 2000; City of Chicago GIS, Bing Maps of Chicago GIS, Bing
U.S. Census, 2000; City
center will complement and supplement existing
¯
Source: U.S.
Maps Projection: NAD 1983 State Plane Illinois East
Projection: NAD 1983 State Plane Illinois East, Feet
Map Created by Maria Hernandez, 4/26/2011
0 0.125 0.25 0.5 0.75 1
Miles
amenities.
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J J3M Community Partnerships Research + Analysis
Education, Poverty, and Employment Population Density in East Garfield Park, 2000
As of 2000, only 13.1% of adults 25 years and older in
East Garfield Park held a degree higher than a high school
diploma, compared to 30.1% in the City of Chicago.
Moreover, out of the nearly 15,000 residents 16 years or
older, 48% percent were in the labor force and 52% were
not. The unemployment rate of those in the labor force was
approximately 23% for this community area.
People per Acre
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 6,535
households in East Garfield Park. The median household
income for households was $24,216. About 26% of
households earn less than $10,000 a year, 11% earn from
Educational Attainment for Adults 25+ in East
$10,000 to $14,999 and 14% earn between $15,000 and
Garfield Park, 2000
$24,999. These lower income categories when combined
account for half of the residents (51%) in East Garfield
Park and show a little over half of residents earn less than
$24,999, compared to a median income in Cook County of
$45,922 (in 1999 dollars). Over 32% of the East Garfield
Park residents were living in poverty in 2000, including
43.1% of the children under the age of 18.
While many factors locally, nationally, and globally have contributed to the high unemployment rate in this area and low
median income, the first step towards a solution is to create a labor force with the skills necessary to compete in the local
job market. Therefore, a key feature of the new center is the adult education center, which provides opportunities for adults
to study for their high school equivalency certificate as well as college entrance exams. Specialized training in computers,
technology, and other job skills will also be made available as resources and community demands arise. Moreover, the
personnel to staff the new facility, including administrative and technical positions, will bring hundreds of needed jobs to the
area.
Percentage of Families in Poverty By Census Tract, 2000
60.0%
50.0%
48.2%
47.3%
44.0%
41.0%
39.8%
40.0%
33.6%
32.2%
31.1%
30.2%
30.0%
27.9%
25.7%
21.4%
20.2%
20.0%
17.8%
17.0%
16.5%
14.5%
15.4%
10.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Source: US Census Bureau 2000
Summary File 3
2701
2702
2703
2704
2705
2706
2707
2708
2709
2710
2711
2712
2713
2714
2715
2716
2717
2718
2719
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J J3M Community Partnerships Research + Analysis
The East Garfield Park Community Center will be a brand new building at the corner of Madison and Sacramento. Its three
floors contain mixed-use spaces designed to meet a variety of needs of the members of the community. For area youth,
whose schools have been forced to cut extracurricular arts programs due to funding deficits, the center boasts space in which
they can find creative outlets through visual arts, music, and dance. Local artists, teachers, and groups can reserve space to
create and display their work. In addition, the youth media center provides a safe, casual, innovative 21st-century learning
space where students can access computers and a variety of media creation tools to engage in activities that promote critical
thinking, creativity, collaboration, and skill-building. It is modeled off the Youmedia center at the Harold Washington Library
in downtown Chicago, which is less easily accessible for local youth. Bringing a similar center to the west side allows more
teenagers the opportunity to “geek out” constructively after school in a safe and engaging environment.
Adults in the area will benefit from a variety of resources as
well. Healthy produce grown in the adjacent greenhouses
and from local farmers can be purchased at reasonable
prices, and periodic healthy cooking classes will offer tips
on preparing balanced meals for a family on a budget.
Additionally, the adult education center and computer lab
provide access to resources necessary to further improve
education and job prospects. Partnerships with commercial
businesses will bring well-paying jobs to the community,
and conference and business spaces will be available for
community use.
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Source: Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance Quality of Life Plan, 2005
Vacant Land
According to the Quality of Life Plan drafted by the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance in 2005, there are 1,750 vacant
land parcels in the 1.93 square miles of land in East Garfield Park. Indeed, if one were to visit the East Garfield Park area this
would be clearly visible, with many stretches of untended land and empty plots scattered throughout the community. While
these plots left vacant would be a detriment to the community, the availability of land in this otherwise extremely crowded
city makes East Garfield Park an ideal community area for new growth and development. It is due to the availability of real
estate in this area the proposed center goes far beyond just the main building. In addition to the structure on the southeast
corner of Madison and Sacramento, the proposed site extends east with greenhouses and a large community garden area,
and across to the north side of the street with a sports complex including state-of-the-art basketball courts and revitalized
buildings for additional commercial developments along the corridor.
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J J3M Community Partnerships Recommendations
Recommendations
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11. J
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J J3M Community Partnerships Opportunities
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12. A product of J3M Community Parternships, prepared by José Alarcón, Jesse Budlong, Maria
Hernandez + Jessica Roberts for UPP 460-T: Introduction to Visualization and Geospatial
Analysis, Spring 2011